Mammals: Class Mammalia

Life Science - Middle School

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ClassMammalia Subclass Prototheria SubclassTheria egg-layingmonotremes live-birthmammals InfraclassMetatheria InfraclassEutheria pouchedmarsupials placentalmammals Orders Carnivora Pinnipedia Cetacea Sirenia meat-eaters seals,sealions,walruses whales,dolphins dugongs,manatees Edentata Proboscidea Artiodactyla Perissodactyla toothlessmammals: elephantseven-toedhooved odd-toedhooved armadillos,sloths, mammalsmammals hairyanteaters Mammals - Class Mammalia AnimalsintheClass Mammalialiveineveryhabitatfromthedeserttothearctictothedeepocean.Somemammalsareactive duringtheday( diurnal)andsomeareactiveatnight(nocturnal).Theylivealone(solitary)oringreatherds(gregarious).They eatmeat( carnivores),orplants(herbivores),orboth(omnivores).Mammalsareallshapesandsizes,rangingfromthepygmy shrewat1 /10ofanouncetothebluewhaleatmorethan300,000pounds.Yettheyallshareafewphysical traits. 1) Mammalsare covered with body hair (exceptmarinemammalslikedolphinsandwhales).Hairkeepsmammalswarmand protectsthemfromsunburnandscratches.Ithasbeenadaptedasaprotectivetoollikethespinesonaporcupine,orisusedto feel,likewhiskersonacat. 2)Mammalshavethree middle ear bones (malleus,incusandstapes)thatgreatlyimprovehearing. 3)Femalemammalsmake milk to feed their young.Themilk,whichisfulloffatandprotein,helpsthemgrow,developand survivetoadulthood. 4)Mothers(andsometimesfathers) protect their young from predators.Evenafternursingiscomplete, parentsoftenlivewiththeiroffspringandteachthemtohunt,survivepredationandliveinasocialgroup. 5)Mammalsare warm-blooded.Becausemammalsaresodiverse,theirgroupinghaschangedinrecentyears.ASubclass(Prototheria)was createdfortheegg-layingmammalsliketheduck-billedplatypus.Theothermammalsinthe SubclassTheriaweresplitintotwo Infraclasses–oneforpouchedmarsupials ( Metatheria)andtheother(Eutheria)forplacentalmammalswhogrowtheiryoung insideuntilbirth(likehumans).The Eutheria infraclassisbrokendownintomanysmallergroupscalledOrders.Tounderstand howweclassifythegroupsofmammals,studytheillustratedchartbelow. Primates apes,monkeys, lemurs,people Insectivora insect-eaters:moles, hedgehogs,shrews Chiroptera bats Pholidota pangolins Lagomorpha rabbits,hares, pikas Dermoptera colugosor flyinglemurs Rodentia gnawingmammals
ClassMammalia Subclass Prototheria SubclassTheria egg-layingmonotremes live-birthmammals InfraclassMetatheria InfraclassEutheria pouchedmarsupials placentalmammals Orders Carnivora Pinnipedia Cetacea Sirenia meat-eaters seals,sealions,walruses whales,dolphins dugongs,manatees Edentata Proboscidea Artiodactyla Perissodactyla toothlessmammals: elephantseven-toedhooved odd-toedhooved armadillos,sloths, mammalsmammals hairyanteaters Primates apes,monkeys, lemurs,people Insectivora insect-eaters:moles, hedgehogs,shrews Chiroptera bats Pholidota pangolins Lagomorpha rabbits,hares, pikas Dermoptera colugosor flyinglemurs Rodentia gnawingmammals 94-4023 Somemammalsareactiveduringtheday( diurnal)andsomeareactiveat_________________(nocturnal).They livealone( solitary)oringreatherds(gregarious).Theyeatmeat(________________________),orplants ( ________________________),orboth(________________________).1)Mammalsarecovered with body __________________ (exceptmarinemammalslikedolphinsandwhales). 2)Mammalshavethree middle ear bones (malleus,incusandstapes)thatgreatlyimprovehearing. 3)Femalemammalsmake _________________ to feed their young.Themilkisfulloffatandproteintohelpthemgrow,developandsurvivetoadulthood.4)Mothers(and sometimesfathers) protect young from predators.Parentsoftenlivewiththeiroffspringandteachthemtohunt,survive predationandliveinasocialgroup. 5)Mammalsare________________-blooded.Becausemammalsaresodiverse, theirgroupinghaschangedinrecentyears.A Subclasswascreatedfortheegg-layingmammalsliketheduck-billed platypus.Theothermammalsinthe Subclass TheriaweresplitintotwoInfraclasses–oneforpouchedmammalscallled _________________________ andtheotherfor ________________________mammalswhogrowtheiryounginsideuntil birth(likehumans).Thesemammalsarethenclassifiedinmanysmallergroupscalled Orders. Mammals - Class Mammalia